I don’t expect many to remember this movie as Full Eclipse was released straight to HBO, which was basically straight to video back then. But the movie was surprisingly well received by critic and more importantly, my friends and I, who loved the premise of werewolf police officers! It sounds hokey, and it is, but Full Eclipse has enough blood, guts and guns to get that Toxic Masculinity Tuesday treatment!
Full Eclipse (1993) | TV Trailer
Plot:
Max Dire, played by Mario Van Peebles, is a no-nonsense detective for the dirty streets of a dangerous 90s Los Angeles. He’s tough, quick with a gun, and has a special hatred for crime that strains his short marriage to his wife Anna. Anna feels as if she is married to a soldier in a war due to Max’s dedication to the job.
Jim Sheldon is Max’s partner for some years who is finally putting away his bachelor lifestyle and planning on getting married as the film begins. Before Max can talk him out of it, the two are called to a hostage situation at a local nightclub. Anticipating his forthcoming marriage, Jim wants to wait for S.W.A.T. but you can’t be named Max Dire and stay on the sidelines.
Taking charge, Max goads Jim into penetrating the club through the rooftop ducts. Crawling towards the criminals from opposite directions, Max and Jim seem to have the advantage over the criminals. That is until Jim accidently depresses the metal as he moves, making a loud enough sound to get the criminals’ attention, which doesn’t work out too well for him.
With Ragemode engaged, Max makes quick work on the criminals, using his 9mm to take down a room full of psychotic men with shotguns and rifles.
But Jim is severely injured and clings to life in the hospital. Max has to console Jim fiancée, who is none other than Taryn from the best Nightmare on Elm Street, which is part 3: The Dream Warriors!
Ahem, but I digress. These turn of events, of course, strain Max’s marriage further and this is important for events that happen later. In the hospital, a mysterious person gives Jim a strange medication in his IV. Somehow, a day later, Jim is fully healed. Jim seems just as surprised from his miraculous recover, but he is different, more cocky and with a brashness to match Max’s own. Plus, unlike before, Jim is eager to get on the streets and fight crime.
Being Los Angeles, Max and Jim don’t have to wait long as they witness a drive-by while getting donuts. Max is his usual bad self, dual-wielding pistols to take out the trash, but the car gets away, at least from him.
Jim, however, is a man seemingly possessed. Somehow, Jim pursues the fleeing car on foot, leaping onto the top of cars and buses as he riddles the car with bullets. Max even witnesses Jim get shot again as he forces the last criminal who had stolen a motorcycle into a brick wall. Max catches up to them, but Jim is seemingly unfazed by the explosion.
After a contentious marriage counseling session, Anna leaves Max, and he gets a call from police counselor Adam Garou offering his services and a support group. We need to talk about these names for a bit, because the writers really wanted you to know what this movie was about, with Garou meaning wolf in French. And I’m assuming Max’s last name, Dire, is just short for Dire Wolf.
Max is cooling his heels at the local cop bar, telling the other cops that he feels something is wrong with Jim. And Max’s instincts are correct, as we see Jim constructing a silver bullet. Jim comes to the bar looking forlorn and disheveled. He tells Max he called off the marriage, and thanks him for being his friend before taking his own life with that same bullet.
Max’s life spirals out of control before he takes Adam Garou up on his offer to attend a support group for cops who have lost something.
Why You Should Watch:
This is when the Full Eclipse gets really cool. Adam Garou ‘s support group is call The Pack, for obvious reasons. Adam is a European citizen who legally immigrated to America because he believes in the American dream. Garou’s hatred for crime extends further than Max as he advocates vigilantism to take back the streets.
All the Pack members lost someone to the streets, and trained cops are the perfect group to take care of the trash that slips through the cracks. Yet Garou’s offer comes with a twist as Max witnesses the group take a strange serum before they take down a mob gathering. Watching from the shore through night vision goggles, Max witnesses the Pack transform and are seemingly impervious to bullets as they systematically kill everyone on the pier.
There is intrigue and more twists as Max is drawn into Garou’s war against the thugs on the streets. Garou uses Casey Spencer, played by Patsy Kensit, to get Max onboard but things are not as they seem. There is cool lore that is discovered along the way and some pretty good action left in Full Eclipse. Max is not one to be manipulated and there is actually an even more awesome twist at the very end that I wish was explored in a follow up movie.
You can watch Full Eclipse for free here on YouTube.
And Check out my deep dive on Adam Garou, the werewolf vigilante, below!
https://youtu.be/Rt9OAMN6d3w
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I caved! For the first time, my debut novel, Fiasco of Adventures, is available digitally! You can order the e-book on Amazon here or from my Linktree! And check out my website, TheMegacosm.com, for the latest news involving this universe. I’m also starting Rumble and Youtube channels. Give them a sub so I can start getting paid!
English (US) · 